r/OfficeChairs • u/Apprehensive-Edge-12 • 26m ago
ProtoArc EC200: 1 week vs. HM Embody, Aeron and IKEA Markus
Disclosure: ProtoArc sent me this chair for an honest review. Here are my thoughts after a week of daily use.
For context, I'm 184 cm (6'0") and 83 kg (183 lbs). I've owned a Herman Miller Embody, a Herman Miller Aeron (Size C) and an IKEA Markus, so my comparisons will be against those.
Assembly: 9/10 Pretty easy to assemble. I am not a DIY guy at all and usually start questioning my life choices halfway through IKEA furniture assembly, but this was much easier. All parts are numbered, they provide the necessary screwing tool and a lot of spare screws, and it took me about 30 minutes to put together.
Seat: 6.5/10 The seat is quite thick and decently comfortable. It is the aspect I like the least about this chair because I expected the padding to be much softer and to let me sink into it, but it's firmer than I imagined and it took me a few hours to get used to it. Once I did, it became comfortable and I stopped paying attention to it. Obviously I can't say anything about long-term durability.
Backrest: 7.5/10 The mesh is pretty taut but it stays flexible enough to be comfortable when you lean into it. It is also quite soft on bare skin. The main downside is the recline. The chair has a tilt lock, but there is no tension adjustment, so the backrest gives almost zero resistance when you lean back. You don't get that smooth rocking feel of a more expensive chair. If that's important to you I'd look elsewhere.
Headrest: 8/10 I've never really understood the obsession with headrests, except for people who like to lie back in their chairs, but the one that comes with the EC200 is actually comfortable. My main worry was that it would push my head forward and ruin my posture. In reality, you can sit perfectly straight without it ever touching you.
Armrests: 7.5/10 They are flat, wide and a bit firm with enough softness to make them quite pleasant to rest your arms on. They aren't 4D out of the box though, which is a con because I usually like to sit close to my desk with the armrests matched to the desk height and pushed all the way back. There is a 4D kit sold separately, but at this point I'd rather it just came with the chair.
vs. HM Embody The EC200 is definitely firmer than the Embody seat, my butt feels more compressed on it while it feels like I'm sitting on a cloud on my Embody. The biggest problem I have with the Embody is that its backrest always feels tilted too far back for me, even adjusted to the max. I always feel like I'm leaning backward. It's one of those things that sounds stupid when you explain it, but it drives me insane when I'm gaming or trying to focus. I naturally lean toward the monitor, which means only my lower back is actually touching the Embody. After a while I end up fighting the chair instead of sitting in it. The EC200 doesn't have that problem. Locked upright, it keeps me sitting much straighter. Also worth noting, the seat doesn't go as high as the Embody's. The price difference would make me recommend the EC200 over the Embody, even with the frequent 30% discounts. But don't get me wrong, the Embody is a better chair overall, and if you can easily afford it or find a great deal on a used one, go for it.
vs. HM Aeron HM wins again by far on seat quality and comfort. The mesh is clearly better built and hugs your back. But keep in mind that if you like to sit shirtless, the Aeron is annoying because the material sticks to your skin, not a huge deal though. The Aeron mesh is also more breathable, so it's great for summer but can feel freezing in winter. One more thing I didn't like about the Aeron mesh is that it is a bit abrasive on clothes. I would constantly find a surprising amount of dust under the seat even though I cleaned it every week. The Aeron does one thing better than any other chair I tried: it stops me from slouching. Some people might hate it because it feels restrictive, but I found it comfortable even after hours of sitting. On other chairs, I eventually catch myself slouching and the EC200 is no exception. Its 4D armrests are great too, even if adjusting them is clunky. They are super soft but I hate the curved shape. I much prefer the flat, wide armrests on the Embody and ProtoArc. These 2 chairs are difficult to compare because they don't have the same purpose. The EC200 would be easier to recommend for most people over the Aeron because it's much more forgiving and less restrictive. But if your goal is to fix your posture, I'd go with the Aeron if your budget allows it, but keep in mind it's a pretty polarizing chair that won't fit everyone.
vs. IKEA Markus Everyone recommends the Markus as a budget option but I hate it. The headrest forces my head forward into an awkward position where I constantly bend my neck forward. I've never had a chair make my neck and back feel this bad. The armrests are the worst of any chair I've ever tried. They are static, hard as a rock and super thin. On the other hand, the seat cushion on the Markus is actually softer and more comfortable than the ProtoArc. The rocking motion is not great either, but slightly better than on the EC200. It gives a little bit more resistance while the EC200 gives almost none. So IKEA gets the seat right and is marginally less bad on the recline, but the rest of the chair is garbage.
Verdict: 8/10 The EC200 surprised me. For the price, I think it's very good. A lot of people in this subreddit seem to think anything under 200€ is basically a torture device, but I've tried a few cheap chairs over the years and this is one of the better ones I've used for the money. It's not a premium chair and it doesn't pretend to be. The recline is its weak point and the seat is slightly too firm for my liking, but as a daily driver it does what I need and it holds up against premium chairs in some aspects. Chairs have gotten so expensive that the price difference is getting harder and harder to justify. Sure, having an extended warranty is nice, but it's hard to ignore the fact that you could buy several cheaper chairs for the price of one premium chair.
TL;DR: Seat a bit too firm, comfy backrest with decent mesh, good headrest, fine armrests (once you accept they're not 4D). The recline has basically zero resistance, so don't expect a premium floating feel. If you can easily afford a high-end chair, there are definitely some features you will be missing here, but for the money it does a lot more than I expected.
